The Exo Terra Brown Riverbend Sand is natural riverbed sand, and has no added chemicals or dyes. The sand is sifted to remove impurities and to create a uniform sand grain size.

Riverbed Sand is the preferred substrate for many types of aquatic turtles in the wild. Soft-shell turtles prefer the fine sand for digging and burrowing. Riverbed sand is soft in nature, benefitting many water and ground-dwelling reptiles, like frogs and salamanders. The soft sand is very fine and can easily be secreted when ingested by reptiles, unlike the rough surfaces of gravel or pebbles which can injure skin tissue, or cause indigestion. Riverbed Sand is extremely fine and rounded, crafted over long periods of time in an African river. This makes it a safe and ideal substrate for the aqua-terrarium.